FIRE chiefs say a Radcliffe couple could have been trapped in their blazing home but for a smoke alarm which alerted them.

The husband and wife were awoken by the device, allowing them to escape from their first floor maisonette in Chapelfield before firefighters arrived at the scene. The blaze, which started in an electricity intake cupboard near the front door, engulfed the hallway of the flat as well causing heat damage to the remainder of the house.A fire crew spent nearly four hours at the scene following the outbreak around 5am on Sunday when the couple were asleep in bed.

Sub-officer Steve Simpson, of Whitefield fire station, said: "They were awoken by the smoke alarm, and it was a good job because you only have one way in and one way out of these flats. The fire was right next to the door and if the smoke alarm hadn't activated, they would have been trapped and we'd be looking at a totally different incident."

The blaze caused severe damage throughout the flat. Sub-officer Simpson added: "We are putting the cause down to an electrical fault at the moment." Further investigations are to be carried out.

A special victim support unit, run by the Red Cross, attended the scene to assist the couple who will have to be re-housed temporarily until they can return to the property.